CT Magazine Rates the State's Small Towns (Part 1)

CT Magazine Rates the State’s Small Towns (Part 1)

Last Winter, we profiled the state’s larger cities and towns as ranked by Connecticut Magazine in their November 2009 issue. The Trumbull-based publication has recently done the same for the state’s smaller towns in its March 2010 issue, the first such ranking since 2007.

As with the previous rankings, several criteria were used and the towns were sorted into three groups based on population:

• 6,500 – 10,000
• 3,500 – 6,500
• less than 3,500

Then, information was collected in the quality-of-life criteria that are most important to residents:

• Schools
• Crime Rate
• Cost of Living
• Local Economy
• Leisure/Cultural Outlets

The numbers were then crunched and rankings were awarded based on how the towns scored in those criteria, with a “1” being the best score possible. In this three part series of posts, we’re going to highlight how some towns in our market area fared, as well as the rest of the rankings. So, without an further ado, here’s Part One:

6,500 – 10,000 : Durham, Woodbridge Represent!

Out of the 23 towns in this segment, Durham and Woodbridge did very well, placing 9th and 10th respectively. Durham fared well in most all of the criteria, especially Education, Leisure and Housing Costs, with a median home price of $269,000. Woodbridge also did extremely well in Education, plus posted high scores in Leisure and Economy. It’s median home price was on the high end, however, at $406,000 it was the third highest price in the top ten. Here’s the chart of results:

    Town            Schools   Crime  Economy   Cost     Leisure    Total

Remember, these rankings are not to be considered the last word in what the quality of life is in a particular city/town; however, they are a starting point and can be used as a point of comparison when making a decision about where to live in the state. There are many reasons for liking –or not liking - a specific city or town that transcend any statistical ranking or report, and only you can decide if a place is right for you and your family.

In Part Two of this series, we’ll take a look at the next population size, towns between 3,500 and 6,500 residents. To see these results in their entirety, head over to Connecticut Magazine’s web site.

Related Posts:

• Connecticut Magazine Rates State Cities and Towns (Part 1)
• Connecticut Magazine Rates State Cities and Towns (Part 2)
• Connecticut Magazine Rates State Cities and Towns (Part 3)
• Connecticut Magazine Rates State Cities and Towns (Part 4)